Vacuum cleaner



Feb. 28, 1933. F. Rl'EB EL, JR 1,899,107

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Feb. 27. 1929 I NI 'EN TOR.

Frederick RieibeZ Jr:

BY $253M: @q

A TTORNEYJ i l atenl:ed Feb. 28, 1933 -J' UN |TED sra 'rr-isv PATENT FFREDERICK RIEBEL, 53., OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOB; TO AIR-WAY ELECTRICAPPLIANCE CORPORATION, OF'TOLEDO, OHIO, A. CORPORATION 01 DELAWARE Qvacuum CLEANER Application flled' February 27, 1929. Serial No. 342,979.

. The present invention, relating, as indicated, to vacuum cleaners, hasmore specific reference to the floor tools of such cleaners, and itsprimary object is to provide instru:

5 mentalities whereby the vertical position of the suction slot or itsassociated agitators can be accurately regulated relatively to thesurface over which the machine is being operated.

In one of its embodiments, my invention contemplates providing avertically movable floor tool with shoes for limiting the descent of thesuction slotrand in another embodiment it eontemplatesproviding such atool with adjustable stops for limiting the pivotal' motion of its floorwheel mountings. In.

the fi st mentioned form, the desired function is effected directly bymeans which contact with the surface over which the machineis beingoperated, and in the second mentioned form, the desired'function-is ef-'fected by means which predetermine the extent of permitted relativemovement between the floor tool and its wheels. The purpose of both ofsuch embodiments is to enable the operator to select that nozzle,position which- 35 sented by wood and linoleum should be dif-.

ferent from the position of such slot than when cleaning the nap or pileof a rug or carpet. Similarly, when cleaning and aerat- 1 ing therelatively long nap of an Oriental or like rug, the suction slot and itsassociated a 'tators should have a different setting than w en the sameoperations are being carried.

out on theusually shorter nap of ,a'carpet. Accordin ly,-and as abovestated, it is my present 0 ject to provide a single or unitary floortool of suchconstruction that the suctionslot and its cooperatingagitators (if used) can be preliminarily adjusted to whatever verticalposition such parts should have for the most eflicacious, and

, surfaces satisfactory use upon the various types of presented by thematerials .to be cleaned. v

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims;

the annexed 'drawing and the following description settlng forth indetail certain structure embodying the invention, such-disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical, forms in whichthe'prin-- ciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing Fig. lis a. longitudinal section through avacuum cleaner floor tool embodying one form of the presentimprovements; Fig. 2 is a transversesection through a complete floortool which was taken along a plane indicated by the line 22,of-Fig. 1;Fig.'-3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 which was taken along a planeindicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view ofa vacuum cleaner 'fioor toolembodying another form of the present improvements; Fig. 5 is a verticallongitudinal section which was taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; andFig. 6 is a vertical section which-was taken transversely of a completefloor .tool long a plane indicated by the line 66 of That embodiment ofmy invention illus trated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, comprises certainimprovements which are shown in association wlth a vacuum cleaningnozzle or floor tool consistlng of a body having a cavity '10 forconnect-mg the slot 11 with the suction tube opening 12, parallelgrooves 13 for receiving the upper portions of the tators 14, and endsockets 15 for housing the wheel mountings 16, each mounting 16comprising a pair of arms 25 and 26 respectively, the former beinghereinafter referred to as atang and the latter as a spring. Theagitators 14 have v their upper portions 17 removably secured within thegrooves 13 by means of the transverselyextendin screws 18, and thebottom surfaces of their inturned lower portions 19- are provided withinclined scorings 20, such scorings desirably form- J I ing triangularshaped teeth or projections 21.

The wheels 22 are mounted upon stub shafts or axles 23, and such axlesproject laterally from the downturned ends 24 of the tangs 25. To theinner ends of such tangs, the correspondingends of the springs=26 areriveted or otherwise secured, and these 'sprin are outwardly extended toprovide sultab emanipulating portions 27, suchportions being centrallyperforated as at 28. Normally, the springs 26 make a rather wide anglewith the tangs 25, but when such springs are manually compressed 'orflexed downwardly, the

wheel mountings constituted by such parts and the tan s 25 can be readilintroduced into the soc et's-1'5. When suc mountings are thuspositioned, the tangs may be permitted to move downwardly and intocontact with the surfaces 29, and similarly the springs 26 may bepermitted to move upwardl into contact with the surfaces 30, the assem1y thereby effected being maintained by the screws 31 projecting into orthrough the openings 28. I

Without going into details, it may be mentioned that this invention isparticularly I adapted for use in connection with vacuum with the tangs'25, thus'allowing the entire cleanersof the type shown and described inU. S. reissue Patent No. 16,224, and in U. S. Patent No. 1,416,876. Suchmachines are so constructed that raising of the handle is automaticallyeffective to place additional wei ht upon the springs 26 and to move thesoc et surfaces 29 downwardlyand out of contact floor tool to assume alower positlon with respect to the surface over which the machine 1sbeing operated. Ordinarily, the extent to whichsuch tool thus descendsis dependent upon the characteristics of the surface or material beingcleaned, but due to variations in the quantity of dust and dirt in thecollecting bag, to differences in the height to which various operatorswill liftthe handle, and to the continually changing speeds anddirections of movement of the cleaner as a whole, intended compensatorychanges in the vertical position of the floor tool do not always occur.Therefore, this invention contemplates providing the screws 31 withadjusting heads 32, such heads having skirt portions 33 which areadapted to form indexes for cooperating with scales or the like 34,

- such scales being constituted by peripheral markings on the upstandingbosses 35. Since the lower ends of the screws 31 are long enough to bearagainst the upper surfaces 0 the tangs 25,"it' is apparent that thevertical position of such screws will be effective to predetermine theextent to which such tan can pivotally move arcuately around their innerends. Itwill also be apparent that by suitably adjusting such screws,the lowermost position of the floor tool can be regulated in any mannermade necessary or deslrable by the specificIsurface to be cleaned, andthat the scalesand indexes afford a convenient guide for referencepurposes as well as for enablin the operator accurately to adjust bothen s of the tool to the same height. If desired, the adjusting screws ortheir head portions may be provided with means forv maintaining anyselected setting, although unless the lead angle of the threads isuncommonly large such means will not ordinarily be necessary as asufficiently close thread fit will accomplish the same purpose.

In Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, another embodiment of my invention is shownin association with a floor tool which in most respects is identicalwith the floor tool described in connection with Fi s. 1 to 3,inclusive. Instead, however, of t e screw adjustment shown in Figs. 1-to 3, a common spring retainin screw 36 is employed in the present emboiment,

and the adjustin or regulating means takes the form of a s 0e 37, suchshoe having a bearing ortion 38, guide portions 39, and a slotted shank40. Such shank, as best shown in Fig.6, may be adjustably clampedagainst the end wall 41 by means'of a suitable set screw 42, this screwaffording a convenient means for permitting of the vertical adjust- I Iment of the bearin portion of the regulating shoe relatively to t ebottoms of the agitators 43. .It will be understood that both ends ofthe floor tool are similarly equipped, and that the bearing faces of theshoes may have any width or length made necessary by the character oftheir intended function-the predetermination of the lowermost positionto .which the floor tool can descend by flexure of the springsconstituting a part of the wheel assembly. I

Other modes of applying the princlple of my invention'may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structureherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims .or the equivalent of such stated means he employed. I I I Itherefore particularlypoint out and dis tinctl claim as my invention 1.{n apparatus of the class described, the combination of a tool having end sockets,

mountings in said sockets, said mountings tool including sockets in itsend portions, a pair of-floor wheels, mounting devices each includin atang to one end of which a re-- spective oor wheel is journalled and anaperitured leaf spring secured to its opposite end extending toward andspacedabove the wheel carrying end, said mounting devices bein receivedin the respective sockets with sai springs in engagement with the upperwalls a 10 of the socket, and adjustin screws threaded through the u perwalls 0 the sockets, proje cting throng said apertures, and positionedto engage said tangs to limit movement thereof toward said springs.- 4.Avacuum cleaner comprising a floor tool including sockets in its endportions, a air of floor wheels, mounting devices each inc ud-" ingatang to one end of which a respective floor wheel is journalled and anartured 2o leaf spring secured to its opposite en extending toward andspaced above the wheel carrying end, said mounting devices beingreceived in the respective sockets with said springs in engagement withthe upper walls 28 of the socket, and adjustin screws thread through theupper Walls 0 the sockets, projecting through said apertures, andpositioned to engage said tangsf to limit movement thereof toward saidsprings, said adjust- 30 ing screws including means for determining thead ustrnent thereof relative to the sockets. 5.A vacuum cleanercomprising a floor tool including sockets in itsend portions a pair offloor wheels, a pair of mounting evices each comprising a tang to oneend of which a respective floor wheel is journalled and an aperturedspring secured to 'its gpposite end extending toward and spaced abovethe wheel carrying end, said mounting 40 devices being received in\therespective sockets with said springs in engagement with the upper wallsthereof, bosses formed on said upper walls and projecting upwardly, saidbosses being provided with scale'faces, and adjusting screws. threadedthrough said. bosses, extending through said apertures, and positionedto engage said tangs to limit movement thereof toward the springs, saidadjusting screws including depending skirts receiving the upper portionsof said bosses and coacting with said scale faces to determine theadjustment of the screws relative to the sockets. q Signed 'by me, this8th day of-October, 551928.-

FREDERICK RIEBEL, JR.

